Whether it is a hobby or for business, gardening is a rewarding endeavor that presents both challenge and delight. To be successful at it, you need to know how to deal with specific stages. One of which is propagating.
There are different ways to propagate a plant. One of which is through cuttings, may it be through the roots, leaf, or stem. To ensure that they root successfully, some use rooting powder. Before we talk about how it works, let’s first discuss what rooting hormones are.
Just like us, plants have hormones that allow them to perform different functions. There are those that control the size of their fruits and other parts, support cell division, and even hormones when plants undergo stress. That’s right. They, too, have stress hormones. Another major type of hormones found in plants is in charge of root growth. While plants naturally produce these hormones, there are those that don’t find it difficult to propagate at all. This is why it helps to use commercially made rooting hormones.
What is a rooting powder?
Rooting hormones come in different forms. We have it in gel, liquid, or powder. Rooting powder is mostly used because of a number of reasons. First, because of its shelf life. Once opened, liquid or gel rooting hormones tend to last for only a year. Power, on the other hand, can last up to five.
The rooting powder will help the roots to develop faster by replacing the root’s stem cells with undifferentiated cells. From these, root cells will be formed, and the rooting process will be hastened.
How does rooting powder work?
To use the rooting powder, you need to prepare the cutting. It’s important that you use a clean shear or knife when cutting from your parent plant. Another important reminder is to cut only from healthy plants. As a guide, measure if they reach at least 3 inches long.
Once you have the cutting, get a small amount of rooting powder into which you dip the bottom. One thing you should never do is dip the cutting directly into the rooting powder container. This can cause contamination in your next propagation project. Contamination can lead to plant diseases that you don’t want to see on your own. After that, prepare a soilless potting mix and make a hole big enough so you can plant it without rubbing the rooting powder off the cutting. Once you push down the soil to remove excess air, water it and store it in a warm area. Most plants will not fare well under direct sunlight during propagation. So make sure to do your research on this part.
The use of rooting powder should not be taken too lightly. Too much can be harmful to your plants, while too little will just waste your time and effort because it won’t do anything to help.
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